Texas teacher salaries stagnant, many districts freeze pay

Texas teacher salaries remain nearly unchanged for 2011-12 according to the Teacher Report 2011-12 , (myTASB login required) the second report in the TASB/TASA Salaries and Wages in Texas Public Schools survey. Nearly half of districts (47 percent) froze salaries for all employees, including teachers. Of the districts that gave an increase to teachers this year, the average increase was 2 percent.

For the second consecutive year, the average teacher pay increase was the smallest raise given by districts in more than 10 years. In 2010-11 the average teacher pay increase was 2.2 percent, in part because House Bill 3646 required most districts to provide teachers at least a “step” increase on the local salary schedule. This year, no mandated pay increases were required, and with the significant state funding cuts imposed on school districts, a teacher pay raise was out of reach for many.

Average salaries for Texas teachers are also virtually unchanged. Texas teachers earn $48,666 on average, compared to prior year’s $48,639, as reported in the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) standard salary reports.

In the largest Texas districts—those with more than 10,000 students—83 percent froze all salaries affecting well over 70 percent of all teachers in the state. Teachers working in the smallest districts in Texas, those with fewer than 1,000 students, were more likely to receive a pay increase this year. Only 25 percent of these districts froze salaries for all employees.

Many of these smaller districts base teacher salaries on the state minimum salary schedule and must increase pay each year to ensure that teachers continue receiving at least the minimum salary for their years of experience. Only 3.5 percent of teachers in the survey work in districts with fewer than 1,000 students.

Other district employees were similarly affected by salary freezes this year. In districts that gave increases, the average was 2 percent for employees other than teachers. The average increase drops to 1 percent when all districts are considered. This suggests that most districts treated teachers and other employees in the same manner when determining pay increase budgets for the year.

However, districts were most likely to freeze administrator salaries, even if they were giving increases to other employees. Sixty-three percent of responding districts froze salaries for administrators.

Teacher stipends dip slightly, still used to attract teachers of hard-to-staff subjects

Seventy-two percent of districts pay shortage stipends to teachers in at least one shortage area, which is a decrease of 3 percent from 2010-11. Mathematics stipends were the most frequently reported and paid an average of $2,358 (a decrease of 2.5 percent this year). The average science stipend, paid by 42 percent of districts, is $2,246 (down 5 percent from 2010-11). As in the previous several years, math and science stipends are the most frequently paid but bilingual education stipends are generally higher. The average bilingual stipend is $2,483 (also down from last year).

About the survey

Sixty-one percent of Texas districts representing 84 percent of public school teachers in the state submitted survey data to HR Services in the fall of 2011. Full highlights  are available on the TASB website. HR Services member districts can access the full report  in myTASB (login required).